Free air for Tyre Pressure at Garage Forecourts

Nodding_Donkey

Back in the day most garages had a workshop so probably had a compressor running anyway. Nowadays the petrol station !!! sandwich shops need to get a dedicated source of compressed air.

Nodding_Donkey

Oh fgs, come is not a rude word, no matter how you spell it.

Strider590

burlington6 wrote: »

They are there to make money, just like any other business. The compressors need to be bought, maintained and run.

Very little in the way of maintenance, empty the water every week and keep an eye on the oil level, that's about it. It's not even as if they see a lot of use.

20aday

I work for a family owned (not mine) petrol station.

We charge 50p for air (it's owned and maintained by a company called Air Serv). When I first started it was 20p but the price increased over eight years ago and has remained at 50p since.

My Boss said they used to offer air free of charge but when people stole parts from it (at £75/time apparently, her words, not mine) that's when it stopped.

Ours runs for four minutes which (IMHO) is usually long enough.

Richard53

I'm in the foot pump and gauge camp, myself. My local garage charges 20p for air, and last time I used them I managed to do 3 of the 4 tyres before the timer ran out. And I had taken all four caps off first to save time :-/ So, 40p then.


Gauges in petrol stations can be very inaccurate (I don't think there is any requirement for them to be tested as there is with fuel delivery), so even a cheap home gauge is at least going to be consistent. And of course, if you check the tyres at a petrol station, they will be warmed up by definition as you have driven to get there. Most tyre pressures are given for cold tyres, so there is another element of inaccuracy to account for. I'd use one away from home if I had an obvious problem, but not for a weekly check.


Interestingly, when I was in France a couple of years ago on the main North-South autoroute (on a very hot day) the police/local authority were offering free pressure checks and compressed air at the toll plazas as people were joining the autoroute, as a safety measure.

londonTiger

its only 20p anyway.

Iceweasel

Richard53 wrote: »

Interestingly, when I was in France a couple of years ago on the main North-South autoroute (on a very hot day) the police/local authority were offering free pressure checks and compressed air at the toll plazas as people were joining the autoroute, as a safety measure.

I've never seen an air-line at any garage/service station anywhere in Europe where you had to pay for air - or water either.

It's common sense safety IMHO.

And you get clean water and a decent squeegy to clean the windscreen too.

Mostly in the UK its a filthy bucket and a tacky old sponge - and that's if your lucky.

Le_Kirk

Nodding_Donkey wrote: »

Oh fgs, come is not a rude word, no matter how you spell it.

No, you've lost me ........ have you posted in the right thread?

thescouselander

Free air? The air is still free of course. What you're actually paying for the the provision and upkeep of the pump.

takman

The Tesco ones near me charge £1 for air and screenwash. I think it's good considering that it's unlimited screenwash so that alone is worth the £1 and it gives enough time to do all 4 tyres. But I only use it when I want screenwash and I have my own pump and gauge at home for the weekly check.